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Chief Engineers Vendor Fair 2003

The Vendor Fair is coming! The Vendor Fair is coming!

The cry went out and was heard by those near and far. Touting a Las Vegas theme, Vendor Fair 2003 took the town by storm.

Promoted by The Chief Engineers Association of Chicagoland, the Vendor Fair has become a time-honored tradition that the many vendors and engineers alike look forward to in anticipation. With the success of this year's event, The Chief Engineer thought a look back into the humble beginnings of this highly successful affair and the work involved in pulling together an event of this magnitude could shed some light on the dedication of The Chief Engineers Association.

Trade shows of every conceivable kind exist: The National Hardware Show, The Auto Show, The Plant and Garden Show, and on and on. Almost every income-producing field of endeavor has jumped on the bandwagon. What better way to reach hundreds or even thousands of potential customers than to put them all together in one area for a short period of time. What better place to hold a show of this type than in the outskirts of the Trade Show Capital of the World, the City of Chicago. With over 100 advertisers in The Chicagoland Chief Engineer, the Association's Board of Directors wanted a trade show to target their particular field, that of Chief Engineer.

Begun in November of 1994, the annual Vendor Fair was to transition many times before becoming the success it is today. The first step was to decide upon a date and place. After a committee meeting in which many ideas were tossed around, it was decided upon The White Eagle Banquet Hall in Niles, Illinois. Offering a convenient location close to major expressways leading into and out of Chicago as well as a perfect banquet area in which to hold the event, the White Eagle became the permanent host for this event.

Next the printing order went out. Flyers needed to be designed, tickets for the raffles and dinner needed to be printed and the booth guide was done by hand because of all the revisions needed right up to the day of print. Contracts arrived on a daily basis and payments were kept track of. Dinner tickets were mailed out and vendors were notified of all the last minute preparations. Additional mailings were made keeping everyone informed of the event. With the extremely capable help of the business office, this all went off without a hitch. The booths were set up, signs were made and decorations were added.

Next a dinner menu needed planning. But that was really a no-brainer. Known for their old-world Polish cuisine, The White Eagle offered sausage, pierogis, saurkraut, chicken and all the fixings. A lavish dessert table rounded out the buffet style dinner. Over 100 vendors occupying 100-plus booths displayed their products and services to the engineers in attendance. Door prizes raffled throughout the evening added to the excitement as each name was called.

By evening's end there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Board of Directors had made a home run with the Vendor Fair idea. Everyone went away happy and many good ideas were offered for the next time.

Before anyone could blink, it was Vendor Fair time again. Four years had passed and many calls were received as to when the next Fair would be held. The decision was made to host the event every 18 months. With the success of the 1994 event, Vendor Fair 1998 followed much the same line. Although time had passed between the two events, there was no less enthusiasm amongst the vendors and engineers alike. Once again The White Eagle provided the perfect setting and vendors provided the perfect showmanship to attendees. To everyone's delight, the number of exhibitors rose to 95, again occupying over 100-plus booths. Many new exhibitors joined the ranks, and ultimately became members of The Chief Engineers Association. By evening's end, the word was out that most attendees couldn't wait for the next Fair. And what an event it was to be.

After much brainstorming, the Board of Directors came up with an idea to encourage attendees to visit as many of the exhibitor booths as possible. "Danny Dollars," named for then President Dan Hickey, were introduced. Looking eerily similar to the present United States currency, but sporting Dan's face in place of that of George Washington, each booth was given a supply of "Danny Dollars." As visitors approached the booth they collected "Danny Dollars" from the exhibitor. At evening's end an auction was held with bids being made in the form of "Danny Dollars." And what an exciting auction it was. Three grand prizes were auctioned off with the bidding becoming heated as the prizes got bigger. Along with the many other prizes raffled off throughout the evening almost all left with goodies of one sort or another. Bags provided by The Chief Engineers Association were filled to overflowing with trinkets and gadgets collected from the exhibitors. Once again the Vendor Fair was a huge success. Feedback was positive, suggestions were heeded and plans were put in place for the next fair to be held in the fall of 2001. The only question would be, could the vendor fair committee top "Danny Dollars?"

There was nowhere to go but up from here. The next vendor committee had some big shoes to fill. They stepped up to the job without batting an eye. Danny Dollars were to be outdone with a pirate's treasure theme. With gold-plated coins provided by United Scrap Metal, each attendee was invited to visit all the booths and obtain as many coins as possible. At the end the coins were weighed, with the heaviest amounts (meaning the most coins) being awarded outstanding door prizes. The competition was fierce, with Chiefs bartering back and forth to obtain as many coins as possible. There was no disappointment when the final prize left the table.

A record number came out to see what Vendor Fair 2001 was all about. The Chief Engineers Association did not disappoint them. Exhibitor numbers climbed to an astounding 120 and attendance numbers followed suit. Much positive feedback assured the association that once again the Vendor Fair hit a home run. Fans were eagerly awaiting the next.

Slated for the spring of 2003, a note of trepidation was present among board members. The economy was in a slump, the country was at war, and the financial outlook for many companies was rather dubious. Would this affect the Vendor Fair? Fingers were crossed as the printing was completed and the mailings went out.

To add some excitement this time around, a Las Vegas theme was decided upon. Much to the surprise of the association, its vendors did not let them down. Although coming in at approximately the same number of exhibitors as the previous event, many of them were first-timers. Word had spread about the success obtained in the past and they were anxious to become a part of it. Attendance numbers far surpassed those of the past. Once again visitors were encouraged to stop at each and every booth and obtain their "money" to be collected for the door prizes. The bills were engraved with the holder's name and deposited into several barrels from which they would be drawn. There was no chance of anyone going away unhappy. The prize tables abounded with gifts of everything from golf balls and T-shirts to an amazing array of DVD players and TV's. In addition, an amazing assortment of little gadgets and gizmos were available for the taking at each vendor's booth. With such a wide variety there was something for everyone.

Positive feedback has abounded at the office. Some good suggestions have been made for the next fair and plans are already in the working to make the next Vendor Fair bigger and better than the last. Watching the success that has been achieved since 1994, there is no doubt that the next committee will do just that. As always, the Chief Engineer magazine tries to publish as many pictures as possible of the event. If yours isn't here, don't despair. We will catch you next time. We know you'll be there!

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